TITLE PAGE

THE IDENTIFICATION OF TOURIST ATTRACTION SITES AND

HOSPITALITY OUTFITS IN NASARAWA STATE

BY

TPL. DANIEL BARAU

AND

OBED L. KPADJI

BEING A RESEARCH REPORT SUBMITTED TO NASARAWA STATE POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH COMMITTEE

JUNE 2013.

ABSTRACT

Successful leisure and tourism requires supportive facilities. Using questionnaires, observation, and secondary information tourist attraction and hospitality outfit were identified. A total of 136 hospitality outfits covering the five major Urban Areas of the state were visited. Maps and photographs have been provided to show the locations of the attractions and hospitality outfits. The work suggested the need for improvement of roads and power supply to increase the volume of tourism, thus raising the level of employment and income through the multiplies effect.

INTRODUCTION

Tourism is the voluntary and temporary movement of visitors away from their usual places of residence to another in pursuit of business or leisure.

Successful tourism requires supportive facilities such as good communication routes, good transportation, and security, friendly and accommodation communities. Modern societies have commercialized tourism, even though in the early times they were not so. Therefore, the use of tourism support outfits like hotels and restaurants are essential for modern day tourism to flourish. 

This research has identified the major tourist attraction sites in Nasarawa State and the hospitality outfits that are required by tourists while visiting the state.

                                                                             MAP 1 

                           Photograph 1 captain Maloney Hill Keffi

Photograph 2 Farin Ruwa Waterfalls.

Photograph 9  Lafia dying pits 

Photograph 10 Emirs palace Lafia.

HOSPITALITY OUTFITS

The creation of Nasarawa State in 1996 saw the emergence of modern hospitality outfits to meet the need of the fast growing urban areas.

The study identified hotels and guest houses commonly used by visitors. The findings presented are for the five major towns in the state namely:

Lafia, Akwanga, Keffi, Nasarawa and Karu

6.1     LAFIA

a.       History

Modern hotel business in Lafia started in the 1970s with the establishment  of Lafia hotel, Lubuna Hotel and Agwai hotel. However, none of these hotels are in operation today. The buildings have been converted to different uses based on management decisions. At the time of the study (June , 2013) about 27 Hotels and guest houses in operation were identified.

Most of these hotels were established in the late 1990s and 2000 in response to the growing demand of the new state capital.

b.       Room Type

The study revealed that hotels in Lafia have varying number of rooms and type available. The lowest number is four (4) while the highest is forty five (45). The average number of hotel rooms per hotel in Lafia is 19 rooms. The study shows that about 209 hotel rooms are available in Lafia town

c.       Room Rates

The room rates vary from hotel to hotel according to room type and facilities available.

It was observed that the deference in prices from hotel to hotel of the same room type e.g standard room is due to the facilities and services provided thus affecting the comfort of guests.

The average rate per standard room is N 5,000 per night, luxery room  N7.500 per night and executive room N 10,000 per night. Those hotels that have room type of higher standard than the three mentioned (VIP. or presidential), the average rates are N 44,100.

The lowest rate for a standard room (lowest category) is N 1,500 while the highest in this category is N 15,000. This wide margin is noted to be as a result of the facilities and services available.

In the category of luxery  room type, the lowest is N 2,500 while the highest in this category is N 18,000.

The executive category type of rooms have N 4,000 as the lowest while the highest is N 27,000. In the presidential room type, the lowest rate is  N16,000 while the highest is N100,000.( see Map of Lafia and photograph)

TABLE 4

PROVISIONS OF FACILITIES IN HOTELS IN LAFIA.

The summary of the result for hotels in Lafia is as shown below:-

S/No	Item	Percentage of Availability
1	Conference hall	48
2	Air condition rooms	90
3	Standby generators	95
4	Internet facilities	36
5	Swimming pool	29
6	Laundry service	79
7	Restaurant	93
8	Bar	64
9	Night club	07
10	Others.	07

MAP 2

AKWANGA

a.       History

Though not the largest town in the state, Akwanga has one of the earliest hotel in the state which was established 1978. Also the town may not have many hotels, but has the largest and one of the most expensive hotel in the state.

The study identified 16 hotels in Akwanga with 258 rooms.

b.      Room Types and Rates

The hotels in Akwanga have four room types, standard, luxery executive and VIP/presidential suites. Only few hotels have VIP suites. The lowest rate for a standard hotel room is N1,000 while the highest is N 8,000 with an average rate of N 2,800. The lowest luxury room type has N 1500 as lowest and N 9,500 as the highest with an average of N 3,600. Hotels with executive room type have rates ranging from N 4,000 lowest to N 10,500 as highest with an average of N15,200.

Hotels with VIP/presidential room types have rates that range from N 8200 being the lowest to N 35,000 being the highest with an average of N20,000

(see Map 3 and photograph)

TABLE 5

    PROVISION OF FACILITIES IN HOTELS IN AKWANGA

S/No	Item	Percentage Availability
1	conference hall	50%
2	Room with AC	80%
3	Stand by generator	100%
4	Internet facilities	20%
5	Swimming pool	10%
6	Laundry service	30%
7	Bar	70%
8	Night club	50%
9	Other	10%

TABLE 6

PROVISION OF FACILITIES IN HOTELS IN KEFFI

S/No	Item	Percentage Available
1	Conference hall	61
2	Air condition rooms	77
3	Standby generators	100
4	Internet facilities	28
5	Swimming pool	0
6	Laundry service	50
7	Restaurant	100
8	Bar	90
9	Night club	33
10	Others	05

(See Map 4 and photograph)

Photograph of some Hotels in Keffi

6.4     NASARAWA

a.       History

The study identified that most hotels in Nasarawa are of recent establishment.

The earliest being in the late 90s . Their being recent seems to be a response to the cumulative  demand of guests to the federal Polytechnic,  Nasarawa and housing requirement  of Abuja residents.

The study identified 16 hotels in Nasarawa all having a total of 215 rooms.

b.       Room Type.

The hotels in Nasarawa are mainly of three types which includes standard, luxury and executive with a total of 215 rooms.

c.       Room Rates 

Standard rooms have N 2000 as the lowest rate and N 4,500 as the highest rate having N 2,850 as the average rate luxery room rates have N 2,500 as lowest and N 7,500 as the highest. The average is  N 4,200.00.

Rates for executive room type are N 3,500.00 as the lowest and N 8,500 as the highest, with an average of N 5,250.00.

TABLE 7

PROVISIONS OF FACILITIES IN HOTEL IN NASARAWA

S/No	Item	Percentage Of Availability
1	Conference halls
2	Rooms with AC	40
3	Stand by generators	80
4	Internet	10
5	Swimming pool	20
6	Landry service	50
7	Restaurants	80
8	Bar	80
9	Night club	10
10	Others	0